Tag Archives: Chris & Barbara classes

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Serious connection and technical problems in the Overseas IT Department have delayed us from reporting on our “Delectable Lanterns” class last Saturday. But, better late than never –

We set a personal best time for setting up the room after the new caretaker forgot to open the hall for us. Not the best start! After that problem was solved everything went really well and everyone seemed to have a good time with lots of chat, cutting, chat, coffee and tea, stitching, more chat, coffee and tea – in other words a typical C&B class! Here are just a few of the pics we managed to take during a very busy day –

Our next (and last) class for this year is “Christmas Capers” on Saturday 21 November – just over three weeks away. Where does the time go?

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Barbara is back from her adventures teaching on a cruise (the world is still swaying slightly beneath her feet) so a high-level meeting at HQ was convened to restore caffeine levels and some semblance of normality. Major outcome of the meeting is that we have managed to finalise the Needs Lists for the remaining two classes of this year and these are now available on our website. (Thanks once again to the IT department at C&B Towers). You can also download the Needs Lists using the links below.

The EQ doodle has no connection with our Christmas Capers class – we just fancied adding a touch of festive colour at this point!

So, back to lots of class preparation for both of us – Chris has a very full programme at The Corner Patch and Barbara will be experiencing the full joys of the UK road network for the next few weeks as she travels to give talks and classes in a wide range of locations.

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We all survived a rocky start to the workshop – Chris and Helen arrived to set up the room only to discover about 30 children taking an exam. The hall had been double-booked. Cue frantic calls to assorted members of the Hall committee who all seemed to be away or out. Eventually we agreed with the exam invigilator that they would move to the small room at 10.30 (when the exam finished and they would discuss the results). So in the meantime (once keys had been located) we squished into the small room with our tea and biccies and tried to chat quietly amongst ourselves – show-and-tell filled a little time – until we were able to relocate.

But despite all these set-backs (and did we mention the weather? – torrential rain and flooding on the roads) by the time Chris arrived back in the main hall with her boxes everyone had rallied round and set up all the tables and sorted themselves out ready to start.

Double Delight featured two blocks which created a secondary pattern when put together. Both had three-triangle units (of different sizes and orientation to add to the confusion) and one had a partial seam – a new technique to many but easily mastered. A few blocks were put up on Instagram earlier but here’s a few more.

First, two tops which were completed in the day (one even had the start of a border, but Chris didn’t get a photo of that) despite the late start.

And some sets of blocks (or half-tops perhaps?)

With apologies to all those whose blocks were equally splendid and colourful but haven’t been featured. But we could do another post later . . . This is what we both love about these workshops – everyone starts off with the same worksheet and fabrics labelled A, B, C and D and we get 20 different and stunning results. We’re really looking forward to seeing the completed (but not necessarily quilted!) tops next month. No pressure, folks.

Further thanks to Ann Jermey, our Apprentice Gopher, for stirling work in the kitchen! She’s been promoted to Certified Gopher (the certificate is in the post, Ann).

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The first workshop of the new term is nearly upon us – next Saturday, September 12th. Please don’t forget if you have booked a place! The Needs list is here and you will be making something that could look a bit like this –

In case you are wondering what to do with yourselves when we stop our workshops at Tittensor at the end of the year – there is a Block of the Month starting on our sister blog Meadowside Designs this week. The first post with a picture of the quilt and a link to the requirements list is here.

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Things have been relatively quiet at C&B Towers and also the Rural Office – we’re still tidying, pruning, re-organising, making lists and all activities associated with Good Intentions and Planning. It has been great fun working through 15 years worth of pictures and worksheets from our Saturday classes – here’s our first Monday Miscellany selected at random, hope you enjoy!

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Over at the Rural Office internet connectivity has been a fragile fleeting thing – sometimes there, most times not. So battling against the odds, here’s our report on the String Quartet class last Saturday. Everyone seemed to have a really good time (with the possible exception of Chris who was doing sterling duty supplying vital teas and coffees). Usually we begin classes with a demo and instructions, this time we dived right in to sewing and stitching little bits of fabric together to make Friendship Star blocks. Everyone made at least one of these blocks and we rather think that the random piecing technique may prove a popular option – we even had a few mutterings about “good thing to do for a Linus day” “think I’ll do this again” etc etc. The first few finished blocks are below –

After the Friendship Star blocks we moved on to a quick demo of piecing strips and strings of fabric down onto a paper shape and worksheets were handed out. Chris’s Monster Scrap Bag made a guest appearance and was carefully picked through as the day progressed – it really was somewhat reduced by the end of class!

So, well done everyone! Our next Saturday class – Double Delight – is in September. We’ve got a lot of 2016 planning to do in the summer break and maybe a little more beautifying of the grounds of C&B Towers.